With a self-deprecating chuckle, Li Changfeng tucked those thoughts away. He had no need to compare himself to these people; focusing on his own path was enough.

Among his peers, he was already exceptionally outstanding. "First Elder, what is wrong?" Lifting his head again, Li Changfeng noticed the strangeness in his First Elder.

The Elder was staring into the distance with a look of sheer horror, which sparked a flicker of confusion in Li Changfeng's heart. The Li Family's First Elder was a cultivator at the late stage of the Fourth Layer.

Li Changfeng didn't know much about the 'Guardians,' and in his eyes, this rank represented the absolute peak, the most powerful existence. He truly couldn't fathom what could cause the First Elder to display such utter shock.

"Someone is coming. More than one.

And they are immensely strong!" The Elder didn't even turn his head, murmuring softly. Being at the late Fourth Layer, he perceived energy far more acutely than Li Changfeng.

Two energy signatures, one large and one small, were hurtling toward them with blinding speed. In his estimation, neither of these energy clusters was small, especially the one behind; he had only ever sensed energy like that emanating from his own Ancestor.

Could this mean that one of these energy masses belonged to an expert at the Great Perfection of the Fourth Layer? The Great Perfection of the Fourth Layer was a Guardian-level entity in any family or sect.

Why would such an expert be sprinting, heading directly for Mount Shu? "Someone?" Li Changfeng looked in the direction the First Elder was staring, his face soon mirroring the Elder's shock.

In the distant forest, a white speck was visible under the moonlight. The speck rapidly grew larger, tearing through the woods beneath their cliff like a projectile.

As it passed a small clearing devoid of trees, Li Changfeng managed to catch a glimpse of the shape. 'Glimpse' was generous; he could only discern a rough outline.

It was a horse. A white horse, with a figure seemingly mounted upon it.

A white horse moving at such speed, with a rider—immediately, one person flashed into Li Changfeng's mind: Zhang Yang, astride his white horse, battling Fourth Layer experts on the Long Family Plains. He remembered that scene with perfect clarity.

The thought barely crystallized when his expression shifted into the same look of terror as his First Elder. Not long after the white horse passed, a greyish-white shadow streaked by with incredible velocity.

This was a single person. Li Changfeng found it hard to believe that someone's speed could match that of a Celestial Spirit Horse, keeping up relentlessly behind.

Moreover, as this person passed, the powerful energy generated a palpable pressure, giving Li Changfeng a sensation of stifling oppression. The shock on his face deepened further.

"Great Perfection. It must be Great Perfection!" Two shadows, one leading and one following, flashed past.

The First Elder muttered softly to himself, his face taking on a stupefied expression. He perceived and saw far more than Li Changfeng.

He had already discerned that the two were engaged in a pursuit. A Great Perfection master from behind was relentlessly chasing the figure on the horse ahead.

He hadn't seen the rider clearly, but he recognized the horse somewhat. A horse possessing such speed could only be a Celestial Spirit Horse.

"First Elder, what—what are you saying?" Only when the two shadows vanished from sight did Li Changfeng turn back, asking in a low voice. The First Elder glanced at him, then turned back to the distance, remaining silent.

The realm of Great Perfection was a topic that would offer Li Changfeng no immediate benefit; thus, there was no need to speak of it. Besides, his immediate apprehension had faded—at least these two energy signatures were not aimed at the Li Family.

These two were merely passing through. Yet, he couldn't fathom who could provoke a Great Perfection expert into such a furious, thousand-mile chase.

There were no major powers near Mount Shu. The sheer velocity of their passage suggested they originated from a great distance.

Looking at his First Elder, Li Changfeng hesitated, then finally spoke: "First Elder, those two who just passed... I recognize one of them!" "You recognize who they are?

Speak quickly!" The First Elder snapped his head around, exclaiming urgently. He was intensely curious about their identities.

After all, Great Perfection experts were rare in this world, not common as cabbages or radishes. The appearance of any Great Perfection figure was an earth-shattering event.

The realm was named 'Guardian' precisely because of their scarcity—only top families or sects possessed one; having two marked a pinnacle existence. Their purpose was deterrence, preventing others from harboring ill intent.

Great Perfection masters rarely acted personally. "I didn't clearly see the one on the white horse, but I know someone who owns such a spirit beast and possesses formidable strength!" Li Changfeng spoke slowly, waiting until the two energy signatures were completely gone.

The First Elder stared intently at him, pressing urgently, "Who is this person you speak of?" "His name is Zhang Yang. He is a successor of the Medical Saint lineage.

He possesses three spirit beasts: the Treasure Seeking Mouse, the Fox-Tailed Sable, and the Celestial Horse. During the Long Family Grand Competition, he killed Hu Yan Peng of the Hu Yan Family, and subsequently, the Hu Yan Family Elder, Hu Yan Xin!" Li Changfeng narrated quietly, his thoughts drifting back to the exhilarating scenes of the Long Family Grand Competition.

Many geniuses emerged from that battle—Long Fenghua of the Long Family, Hua Tian—all stronger than him. But even they, compared to Zhang Yang, were mere specks of dust in the brilliant sunlight.

They simply stood no comparison to Zhang Yang. "What did you say?

He killed Hu Yan Peng, and Hu Yan Xin?" The First Elder grew even more astonished. He knew Hu Yan Peng, who had reached the late Third Layer eight years prior.

He knew Hu Yan Xin even better—an Elder of the Hu Yan Family at the Fourth Layer. This successor of the Medical Saint lineage named Zhang Yang had actually slain two formidable experts from the Hu Yan Family.

"Yes. Originally, Zhang Yang killed Hu Yan Peng first.

Elder Hu Yan, enraged, sought revenge, and many others were jealous of Zhang Yang, including the Second Elder, who planned to surround and attack him. But then, a complication arose—it seems a major figure from the Zhang Family arrived, and ultimately, Elder Hu Yan was killed by Zhang Yang!" Li Changfeng continued, explaining that he hadn't followed the events personally that day, only piecing together the simplified accounts he heard.

That was the extent of his knowledge. "The Medical Saint Zhang Family.

Even Zhang Daofeng is, at best, at the mid-Fourth Layer. I don't know if Zhang Yun'an has broken through to the Fourth Layer, and their younger generation is generally mediocre.

Who exactly is this Zhang Yang?" The First Elder spoke again, his face clouded with deep confusion. At their age, they possessed extensive knowledge of the outside world.

The Zhang Family was mysterious, but they had a clear understanding of their lineage strength. Currently, the First Elder had no idea who Zhang Yang was.

"Zhang Yang was twenty last year, making him only twenty-one this year. He is of the Zhang Family...!" "What?

You say this Zhang Yang is only twenty-one years old?" The First Elder’s shock intensified. He was visibly losing his composure in front of Li Changfeng.

"Yes, Zhang Yang is only twenty-one. Anyone who has seen him can confirm it.

Furthermore, when he killed Hu Yan Peng and Hu Yan Xin, he was still only at the late Third Layer. It was after killing Hu Yan Xin that he achieved his breakthrough!" Li Changfeng decided to reveal everything at once: Zhang Yang was indeed a Fourth Layer expert now, but he wasn't before; he advanced only after slaying a Fourth Layer expert.

This made Zhang Yang even more terrifying—capable of slaying those above his level even before his promotion. The First Elder’s lips twitched involuntarily.

Just moments ago, he had been praising Li Changfeng as a rising talent, but compared to Zhang Yang, Li Changfeng amounted to nothing. Twenty-one years old, already reaching the Fourth Layer, and now escaping the clutches of a Great Perfection expert—such a figure was almost unimaginable.

If he didn't know Li Changfeng would never dare lie to him, he would have dismissed this as an embellished tale. "Yuntian, come see me!" As the First Elder remained lost in thought, he suddenly jolted.

A sound echoed in his mind—a sound he knew intimately. It was their Li Family Ancestor, the current Great Perfection Guardian of the Li Family.

The Ancestor summoning him meant it was related to the recent events. Without delay, he rushed back to the family grounds, taking Li Changfeng along.

He spent the return journey questioning Li Changfeng about Zhang Yang, his focus clearly fixed on Zhang Yang rather than the mysterious Great Perfection pursuer. This was understandable; Zhang Yang's performance made it impossible not to notice him.

The First Elder remained with the Ancestor until dawn. What they discussed remains unknown, but immediately afterward, the Li Family issued several consecutive decrees.

The first was a complete lockdown of the Li Family grounds for ten years. No one was permitted to leave without explicit family authorization, which required Elder approval.

All disciples were commanded to dedicate the decade to rigorous cultivation. This command did not include Li Changfeng.

Li Changfeng was dispatched on a mission: to locate Zhang Yang of the Zhang Family and determine whether he could survive a pursuit by a Great Perfection expert. If Zhang Yang managed to return alive, the Li Family was determined to forge a strong alliance with him in the future.

This directive, previously stemming only from the Patriarch and the Second Elder, now carried the weight of the Ancestor and the First Elder. If Zhang Yang did not return, or if he was killed, Li Changfeng had a secondary task: to convey the news of Zhang Yang's pursuit by a mysterious Great Perfection expert to the Zhang Family.

They did not know the identity of the Great Perfection pursuer, but given how few such experts existed, the intensity of the chase suggested a powerful motivation. The Zhang Family, though small in number, was formidable.

If such an unparalleled genius were to perish, the entire Zhang Family would likely erupt in madness. In that scenario, they would surely seek furious retribution against the Hu Yan Family.

Regardless of how the two families fought, it held no disadvantage for the Li Family. If the Hu Yan Family declined, perhaps the Li Family could claim a share of the spoils.

Between families, there were no eternal alliances, only perpetual interests. This was why the Li Family implemented the lockdown; the inevitable conflict between the Zhang and Hu Yan families could spread widely.

No matter the fallout, if the Li Family remained securely positioned, the future harvest would be substantial. Rumor held that Zhang Yang also maintained a good relationship with a disciple from the Long Family; involving the Long Family in this would be even more advantageous.

At this moment, Zhang Yang had no idea his escape had attracted such widespread attention. Leading his companion, the Wind Chaser, he finally crossed out of the Chuan-Yu Province and formally entered the borderlands of the Southern Regions.